as to whether to run the ILI tool or carry out further
cleaning pig runs to remove any remaining debris.
By supporting this decision, cleanliness assessment
tools such as PECAT provide an accurate pre-inspection
capability for reasonable cost. As well as offering a pre-
inspection capability, PECAT can be used during routine
production cleaning as a check of cleanliness prior to
decommissioning a pipeline and to ensure the readiness
of a pipeline for effective chemical treatment. Figures
6 and 7 show the typical outcome from this type of
exercise.
Summary
Progressive cleaning is often required to bring a pipeline
back into a clean state to enable a successful inline
inspection tool run or to improve pipeline hydraulics
after an extensive period without pigging. By carrying
out a study, development testing and tool verification,
the pipeline pig supplier is able to offer an engineered
solution to progressive cleaning as opposed to off-the-
shelf standard pigs. This increases the probability of a
successful campaign, and reduces the risk of process
upset at the receipt facility. Combining this solution with
the offer of support during the operations phase, and
providing a method of confirming the cleanliness of the
pipeline post cleaning through the use of a cleanliness
assessment tool, gives the operator a higher level of
confidence that the pipeline will be fit for an inline
inspection, or adequately clean to produce efficiently
after the cleaning campaign.
Figure 7.
Typical offset sensor output.
Making the world a cleaner place...
One pipeline at a time.
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